Clinical Trials for Head and Neck Cancers

Not all patients are cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired, therefore, patients may seek help through a clinical trial. Patients who take place in clinical trials have the first chance to benefit from treatments that have shown promise in earlier research. They also make an important contribution to medical science by helping doctors learn more about the disease. Although clinical trials may pose some risk, researchers take careful steps to protect people who take part.

Clinical trials come in four phases. In Phase I trials, investigators try to determine the most effective and safe dosage. In Phase II trials, which involve a larger group of patients, researchers hope to build on what they learned in the first phase by trying to establish response rates and response durations, and by trying to determine what side effects will occur. In Phase III trials, researchers compare the experimental treatment with the standard treatment. In Phase IV trials, researchers monitor the effects of long-term usage.

For Hutchinson Center Clinical Trials, click here.

For our Patient Guide to Clinical Trials, click here.

Listen to SCCA's Medical Director, Dr. F. Marc Stewart, as he speaks about Clinical Trials: Myths and Facts, in a recent Patient Power interview. More >

For further information on clinical trials, a patient should talk to his or her doctor.

December 2007